Halloween Havoc
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: With Serrator gone, the Rangers will have some time to relax, compose, and work on the sealing symbol uncontested...yeah, some chance of THAT happening with Octoroo still around!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Having seen the majority of "Trickster Treat" (I've only seen clips, not the whole ep), I have to say that I was not overly impressed. It also presented something of a conundrum for me, since I've already done a storyline with the Rangers being trapped in movies (Movie Madness). So, basically, I'm taking the script out back...and shooting it! This is going to be my own version of things to kill some time until the episodes come back to continuity. Hope you enjoy it.

**Legal:** I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be presumed to be purely the creation of the author.

**Rating:** T – may be some mild adult themes.

The weekend came around, and for the first time in a long time, the residents of the Shiba House had very good reason to be cheerful. Serrator, the Nighlock that had plagued them now for almost a year, and been the closest to bringing the entire world to its knees, had been destroyed. They had already checked, and not only had the geysers stopped, but the stress line they created had become stronger, like the Earth itself was healing itself. With Xandred still at the bottom of the Sanzu, it seemed like for the time being at least, they would have the ability to rest up and get over their greatest battle to date.

There were a few niggling injuries, but with Octoroo's distaste for direct action, they all had time to recuperate. For once, they could actually rest, and exercise in peace to heal properly. The fact was that after two years, with very little rest, aches and pains were pretty constant companions for the Rangers. It was rare that they were ever at 100 percent, generally 85 and above was considered a good day, 60 and up, often just a fact of life. In short, after a few days of being able to do things right for their recovery, and not have to cut corners or push things too early out of necessity, everyone was feeling pretty good.

Emily was in the sitting room, rummaging through a couple of boxes. One of the things that the reprieve offered by Serrator's destruction would give them was that they could prepare for Halloween. Emily had always loved Halloween, with the possible exception of the previous year when she had been so busy that she had forgotten to get a costume until the last minute, and ended up with the embarrassing pink bunny outfit. She still occasionally got a few comments about it when the team had too much time on their hands and started teasing each other to pass time. This time though, she had ordered her costume over a month ahead of time with the others, and so this year, there would be no repeat of the bunny incident.

Mike came into the Living Room, finding her looking through the boxes, and chuckled. He snuck up behind his fiancée, seeing that she hadn't noticed him yet.

"They're all still there!" He called out, causing her to scream and jump backwards into him. She looked around at him in alarm. "You keep checking on it, but no one's tampered with the decorations."

"Mike, don't DO THAT!" She shrieked, smacking him in the chest. "You know I hate that!"

"But you love Halloween?" He asked in response, taking amusement in Emily's fright. She just crossed her arms and sulked.

"I like the candy and the costumes." She grumbled. "But scaring people like that is just mean!"

"Well, tell you what. How about I make it up to you?" He asked her. He pulled out a couple of cinema tickets. "There's a great film in the cinema tonight. Nothing scary, I promise."

"I guess I can forgive you." She giggled, leaning over and kissing him. Serena, Terry, Kevin and Mia came into the room from the dojo, having heard the scream, coming to see what the noise was about. Seeing Emily and Mike in each other's arms, they all just groaned and looked away.

"Oh God, I should have known." Serena muttered. "Emily, you scared the life out of us!"

"Oh, sorry about that." Emily giggled. "Mike just played a mean trick, but we're heading to the cinema tonight, so it's alright."

"You know, they have a seriously weird relationship." Kevin stated as they all left in disbelief. "They can go from scaring the crap out of each other to hot and heavy in a heartbeat."

"Yeah, but not too hot and heavy I hope." Serena answered, shaking her head. "I'm not ready to be an aunt just yet."

"Still, the idea of going out for the night does sound like a pretty good plan." Kevin said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "So, how about we make some plans of our own? It's been a while since we had a chance to date."

"That sounds pretty good handsome." Mia agreed, holding him tightly. "Ji and Brenda recommended a Chinese place; I'll just go and ask them where it is."

"They were out in the yard with Antonio and Jayden the last time I saw them." Terry informed them, at which they went to go and get the location of the restaurant. Terry just looked to Serena.

"You know, you've been working pretty hard with Kasamune." He told her. "There's no reason we should be the only ones left at home."

"What did you have in mind?" Serena asked him.

"Well, I've spent months here, but I've never actually been in that awesome amusement park." He told her. "I think now's about time."

"Well, they do have a few new attractions for Halloween." She recalled, coming over to him. "Let me just get my jacket."

As she left, Terry waited until she was in her room, before punching the air in excitement. He loved his time with Serena, but so far it had all been either helping her with her injuries, or helping her train with Kasamune. He was finally getting to spend some time with her outside of the Samurai thing. Heading into his room to gather his things, he couldn't help grinning.

Out in the yard, Ji watched as Jayden and Antonio trained on the sparring mats. Brenda was with him for support. He had something to tell Jayden, something he was sure would change everything. Up until now, they had Serrator to deal with, but now that threat had subsided, he knew that he had to give him the news.

As they watched, they could see that Jayden was a lot happier than he had been in quite some time. He smiled as Antonio helped him to his feet after scoring another point. Brenda knew that Ji was always reluctant to put more pressure on Jayden. He had grown up with the burden of leading the team, of taking up his fathers' war since he was a child. Ji had always tried to take as much of the burden as he could, to make Jayden's life easier, but there was only so much he could do. He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He saw Mia and Kevin standing over him.

"Um...we were just heading out for the night." Mia told him, seeing that Ji was decidedly jumpier than normal.

"Yeah, Mia remembered you and Brenda recommended a Chinese place." Kevin added. "We just couldn't remember which one."

"It was the Mandarin Dream." Brenda recalled. "It's on Evergreen."

"Is everything alright?" Mia asked. "You both seem kind of...jittery."

"Um...we just have something on our minds." Brenda assured them. "It's fine really."

"Are you sure?" Kevin asked. "We can always stay..."

"No, Brenda is quite right. It'll be fine." Ji interrupted him, seeing the others also heading out. Realising that the house would be empty apart from Antonio, he figured it would give him the privacy he needed to speak to Jayden.

"Order the tangerine chicken." Brenda recommended as they started to turn away reluctantly, still looking concerned. "It's fantastic."

"Um...alright." Kevin finally said. "Just call us if you need us."

As they left, Brenda just looked to Ji, holding his hand in a comforting gesture. Jayden and Antonio were just finishing up with their training, which meant he couldn't afford to put it off any longer. Taking a deep breath, he got up, heading for Jayden.

"Hey Ji." Jayden greeted him. "Where are the others going?"

"They're taking some personal time for the evening." He informed him. "Jayden, there's something important I need to discuss with you. It is...private, family business. Antonio, would you mind...?"

"Family business?" Antonio asked him. "Is this about...your secret?" Ji just sighed in response.

"I...I told him a while back." Jayden stated. "I'm sorry Ji, but I..."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you did." Ji said in a tone of resignation. He wasn't really angry at Jayden; he had no right to be all things considered. He had told Brenda. "Yes, it is regarding the secret. I have news that may change everything. I have told Brenda, so everyone here knows. Does anyone else...?"

"Antonio's the only one I told." Jayden assured him. "In this dimension anyway. Scott knows, but he hasn't told anyone. So, unless..."

"We're the only others that know." Brenda interjected.

"Then, perhaps we should move somewhere quieter to discuss this matter." Ji suggested, gesturing inside. They followed him to his study, knowing that whatever he had to say obviously had to be important.

At the cinema, Spike was pacing nervously, waiting for Vicky to arrive. He still couldn't believe his luck that she had actually asked him out. He had been desperately trying to pluck up the courage to do the same thing ever since he found out that she and Cody had called it a day.

He had been unable to think about anything else since it had happened. He had spent the whole of the previous night looking through his wardrobe for something to wear. He had tried on and rejected almost everything he owned, desperate to find something that would be suitable for the occasion. In the end, he had ended up going out to buy something. He had wanted this for so long; he was desperate to make sure the first date was perfect.

He was wearing a pale blue Ben Sherman shirt, with black pants, and black leather shoes. It wasn't really his usual style, but he wanted everything to be just right. He had arrived at the theatre early, almost an hour early, just to make sure he could book the premium seats for their movie. Now though, he had been waiting for so long, he was just making himself more and more nervous.

As he checked his watch again, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and almost jumped six feet in the air, shrieking loudly. As he turned around, he saw Emily and Mike behind him.

"Hey Spike." Emily greeted him. "You look...different. I wasn't sure it was you for a minute."

"Yeah, I got a new outfit." Spike answered nervously, looking around frantically.

"Well, it kind of suits you." Emily replied. "So, are you here to see a film? Let me guess, you're here for the horror special..."

"Not quite." Spike answered. "With all the monsters running around the city all the time, I kind of lost my taste for the whole genre."

"Well, Serena told me about what happened at the school." Emily told him with a smile. It had been some time since she had seen Spike. This was the first time since the raid that she had been able to catch up with him. "She was really proud, you did a great job!"

"I'll say you did, you're a hero dude!" Mike called out, slapping him on the back.

"I'm alright I guess." Spike said, a little embarrassed by all the praise. "I just wish Mal hadn't gotten hurt."

"Well, from what I heard, a lot more people would have been a lot worse off if it wasn't for you." Mike added. "So, what are you going to see anyway?"

Spike just pointed to a poster. Emily grinned brightly.

"That's what we're here to see!" She called out. "That's such a coincidence! Say, maybe we can get seats tog..."

A hand was clamped across her mouth, and Mike just pulled her away.

"Hey look, there's that game I was telling you about." Mike informed her, pulling her away. "We've got time before the movie for a quick game. Enjoy the movie Spike!"

He took Emily inside, before releasing her. Emily just glared at him.

"Mike!" She protested. "What was that about? I was just..."

"Emily, this isn't the kind of movie sixteen year old boys normally go to alone." Mike reminded her. "I'll bet he's already got his tickets."

"But he could always exchange..." Her words tailed off as she suddenly caught on to what he was saying. "Wait, you mean...?" Mike just nodded. He gestured back to him, at which Emily just leaned around the corner, taking another look.

She was just in time to see Vicky arriving. It was clear she had put a lot of effort into her outfit, and she had done something different with her hair. It wasn't as bushy as normal; looking like it had been straightened. She approached Spike, smiling nervously.

"Hey." She greeted him. "Um...you look nice."

"Yeah, you too." Spike rushed out. He stood before her for a long moment, trying to gauge what he was supposed to do, before finally showing her the tickets. "I got us some premier seats."

"That's great." She answered. "So...should we go and get some snacks or something?"

"I guess so." Spike stammered. He offered her a hand, which she took slowly, before heading inside. Emily pulled back, joining Mike by a video game, pretending she was playing.

"Well?" Mike asked with a smirk of satisfaction on his face. Emily grinned brightly and nodded her head.

"You were right." She answered. "I guess he could do without a couple of gooseberries."

"Well, I say we get to the concession stand." Mike told her. "I feel like nachos."

"That sounds perfect." Emily agreed, going with him.

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Octoroo was not using his time to relax. He knew that with Serrator gone, and Xandred out of action, the two most powerful remaining Nighlock were out of the war. Well, Dekker and Dayu were still around somewhere, but Dekker didn't care about the war anyway, and Dayu only concerned herself with pining over him, so he knew that they were not going to help him.

With the most powerful Nighlock out of the way, he knew that the way was largely clear for the Rangers to work on the seal, and end the war once and for all. His spying meant that he knew a lot more of their secrets than he had been willing to divulge to others, and knew that it would take them some time to arrange what they needed to; he knew that it was a matter of time, something he needed to buy.

Although he was glad to see Serrator gone, genuinely enjoying watching the Rangers destroy him once and for all, a part of him cursed him for being defeated. He was a distraction, something that would take a lot of the Rangers' attention. Now, he needed to give them something else to think about.

His only comfort was the thought that Serrator had double-crossed so many, that he would probably be the only resident of The Dark Zone that wouldn't be having a good time soon. The Feast of the Fallen, the legendary celebration enjoyed by all fallen Nighlock was only days away. He smiled as he imagined how many of those would have grudges against Serrator, and how many times he would be killed, only to return and be killed again since he was no longer a living Nighlock. The thought of his suffering was amusing to Octoroo.

It was then that he came across another thought. The humans had a similar celebration on the same night. It was called...what was it...Halloween? Although, instead of their fallen coming together to celebrate their battles, the mortals marked the occasion by dressing up in silly costumes and going to complete strangers' houses to demand candy and money under the threat of playing practical jokes on them if they didn't. While he appreciated the extortion, he didn't quite understand why it was only one night of the year the humans did this, and considered it acceptable behaviour.

He smirked as he got a plan in his mind. He summoned a flying Mooger, who knelt before him, awaiting instruction.

"I want you to find Trickster." He instructed the creature. "Find him, and bring him here. Tell him that I have an important mission for him, and I will make it worth his time."

The Mooger nodded, before flying out of the window. Octoroo meanwhile turned his attention back to his workbench, where he was working on the rest of his plans for the near future.

"I don't need long." He said to himself. "Soon, the Rangers won't know what way to turn."


	2. Spike's Little Helper

In the movie theatre, Spike and Vicky started to look around for their seats. Spike had paid for the premium seats, larger, comfier seats with a little more leg room right in the middle of the theatre to get the best view. Finding the right row, they started to make their way along before the rest of the row filled up and they had to squeeze past anyone.

Vicky found her seat, settling down, before reaching for the huge bowl of popcorn Spike had bought for them to share, so he could sit down more comfortably, placing the milkshake in the arm-rest.

He looked across to Vicky, who was settling into her seat, looking over to him occasionally as she did. The lights had yet to go down, and so the screen was only playing some advertising reels to encourage people to buy season passes, or go to the lobby for some snacks. Spike couldn't help smiling as he looked at her. He couldn't believe his luck at finally having a date with her. He had already pinched himself a few times just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Emily and Mike were getting into their seats a little way off. Mike could see that they were a little way behind the young couple and groaned. He had only agreed to this movie because he was with Emily, but as soon as he saw them, he could predict what was going to happen.

"Mike, Mike!" She whispered excitedly as she took her seat, pulling Mike down so sharply that he almost dumped the massively oversized nacho box all over both of them. He put the drink in the arm-rest as she pointed frantically down a couple of rows. "Look!"

"Yeah, I saw them." Mike sighed, shaking his head dejectedly. "You know, they are on a date."

"I know, it's just..." Emily was positively shaking with excitement as she watched them have a kind of awkward, nerve-filled conversation. She could remember a time when she was like that with Mike. "It's kind of cute don't you think?"

"Yeah, it's adorable." Mike agreed half-heartedly as he loaded up his first nacho, ensuring it had a good mix of cheese, meat, salsa and sour cream on it before shoving it in his mouth. "I guess we can tell Mia she doesn't need to worry about her teenage cyber stalker anymore."

Emily just smacked him as the seats around them started to fill up. It wasn't much longer before the lights started to go down, and the trailers for upcoming attractions started rolling. Emily's eyes were glued on Spike and Vicky though, as with a trembling hand, Spike reached across and took Vicky's hand. Mike could see the gleeful look on Emily's face and shoved more nachos in his mouth, rolling his eyes. She wasn't going to see any of this movie, meaning that no doubt she'd be dragging him back to see it again.

In the Netherworld, Octoroo was waiting for a response from Trickster. He wasn't overly fond of recruiting the eccentric Nighlock. He was notorious for having a deadly sense of humour. His magic was powerful, and his ability to confound and torment his victims was legendary, but he had a major quirk that tended to discourage others from having much to do him. He was completely and utterly insane. He had little interest in war, or conquest, he spent all his time playing tricks on others for his own amusement. Unfortunately, his idea of jokes tended to be deadly, and at times even lethal. He had destroyed more humans and Nighlock than anyone could even begin to count with his particular brand of humour. Most that had any sense simply left him well alone, a situation that was generally for the best.

Octoroo looked around as his winged Mooger flew back into the Junk, crashing into the deck at an insane speed, tumbling across the floor in a trail of fire, crashing into the opposite wall. It got up, running around screaming in agony, before jumping over the side, into the Sanzu River and sinking to its doom. Octoroo just looked over the side after it and sighed.

"Hello Trickster." Octoroo sighed as he summoned up some power to put out the flames. Trickster climbed over the side of the ship, cackling in delight. "I see you got my message."

"I came as soon as I heard." He replied, trying hard to stop laughing at his latest prank. "How often do I get called to serve the great Master Xandred?"

"I doubt trying to burn down his ship is going to help matters on that score." Octoroo answered sarcastically as he faced Trickster, approaching him. Trickster looked almost as bizarre as he was insane. He had a pair of hands growing out the top of his head, with his eyes set into the palms. Octoroo was wary of hiring him, but he hoped that by giving him the Rangers to focus on, he would avoid the worst of the fallout. "So, are you going to help?"

"Where is the big guy anyway?" Trickster asked. "I haven't seen him since..."

"He's currently taking a sabbatical." Octoroo informed him. "He went to the human world, and he stayed too long. He's soaking in the River to recover."

"Wow, and people say I'm crazy." Trickster chuckled. "Tough break, so I guess you're still acting on his behalf?"

"You've got that right, until the big guy's back, I'm in charge. As far as you're concerned, I'm Xandred, now will you help us or not?" Octoroo snapped impatiently.

"I don't know, I mean, I was having some fun with..."

"Oh, I assure you, this will be plenty of fun." Octoroo assured him. "You get to mess with the latest generation of Samurai."

"Really?" Trickster asked, suddenly becoming interested. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It has been a while since I last messed with humans. They're so amusing to watch when things aren't going well. You should have seen them screaming at that fire I set in London..."

"I was hoping for something a little more refined." Octoroo told him. "I mean, a fire causes panic, sure, but I'm sure an ingenious mind like yours could think of something so much better."

"Just give me a couple of days to think about it." Trickster stated.

"Well, if I could make a recommendation, there is a little thing called Halloween coming up." He informed Trickster. The Nighlock looked thoroughly delighted at the news. Having so little contact with others, he tended to lose track of time. "So, will two days be enough?"

"I think it will be." Trickster replied with an evil smirk. "I think it will."

As he left the ship, Octoroo clamped a hand over his face and shook his head dejectedly.

"He may be nuttier than squirrel poo, but he really knows how to cause some chaos." He commented to himself, before heading back to his workbench. "I guess all I have to do now is concentrate on this."

Over at Rainbow Corners, Serena and Terry were enjoying the night. Terry hadn't been to the park yet, and so he was desperate to get round as many of the attractions as he could before the park closed. Serena didn't know what was more fun, getting to go to the park again, or seeing the way Terry turned into a huge kid, running around on a sugar-high as he tried to decide what games to play, and what rides to go on next.

Serena came across a fortune tellers' tent, and tugged on Terry's sleeve, pointing it out. He just looked at her sceptically.

"A fortune teller?" He asked her. "Really?"

"Come on, aren't you curious?" Serena asked him.

"Serena, there is no scientific basis for this whatsoever." He told her cynically. "Have you ever noticed how few fortune tellers ever make predictions that are more than just vague general outlines of the possible future?"

"Yes, but it's not meant to be taken seriously." Serena chuckled.

"Serena, it's a waste of money." He continued. "She can no more tell the future than I could..."

"Create a hurricane with your sister's cell phone?" Serena asked him. Terry just rolled his eyes. "Come on Terry, we're hardly in a position to just rule anything out as bunk just because we don't understand it. We both know that there's more to this world than what a textbook says exists."

"Well, I guess you did stand for half an hour watching me fail to win that panda." Terry groaned. "Alright Serena, let's give her a shot."

They went into the tent, at which Terry just stroked the bridge of his nose in disbelief. It had every stereotype of fortune telling he had ever heard of. The man sitting behind the table ahead of them had long, unkempt white hair, with a moustache and beard, and had on a pair of canvas trousers and a leather waistcoat, with a few bead necklaces. He had candles lit for light, and a faint aroma of incense filled the air. He had a crystal ball and tarot cards in front of him. Terry just looked at Serena, who grabbed him and dragged him to the table.

"Don't say a word, you promised." She reminded him, sitting down. She pulled out twenty dollars and handed it over.

"I'm guessing you're not convinced." The fortune teller asked as Terry sat down. He looked between Serena and Terry, reaching out for Serena's hand. "I guess I'll start with you."

Serena took his hand, and waited for him to say something. He closed his eyes, concentrated for a moment, and then looked to her.

"I feel a lot of energy within you." He informed her. Terry didn't seem impressed. "It is tinged with sadness, kind of an old sadness...you lost someone dear to you, but you've only been able to lay him to rest recently."

Serena didn't know how to respond. She just nodded as she thought about Stephen.

"You have an odd life energy, one with two major birthing energies, yet both of them are yours." He continued. "You had a second chance at life, one that you have embraced with..."

He tailed off as he was speaking. Terry didn't seem overly convinced, but he had to admit the act was good, and he did seem to be alarmingly close to some things.

"There's another man in your life." He said as he seemed to turn very pale. "He's not a friend, indeed, he seems to wish you harm...great harm...your life is in danger."

Terry was starting to get incredibly edgy about all of this. He could see that Serena was starting to get freaked out by it all. He reached across to intervene, but Serena gestured him back.

"There is..."

"I'm not exaggerating, this man, he has bad intentions for you and those you care about." He told her. "But I don't see any malice; he has no personal issue with you. I also see that you feel something for him...but it isn't..."

"Serena, we should go..."

"It's fine!" Serena insisted, shifting closer to the fortune teller. "What can you tell me? Where is he? When will he come?"

"Soon." The fortune teller told her. He released her hand, looking almost like he was going to be sick. He pulled the twenty out of his pocket, and handed it back to Serena.

"He will come soon, and it will be the hardest trial you have ever faced." He told her. "I...I don't want to profit from such visions I...I am sorry about what you have to face Serena."

Serena got up from the table, and started to make her way out of the tent. Terry stopped just short, turning to him with a look of anger on his face.

"Look, I don't know what kind of sick..."

"I cannot help what the spirits tell me." The fortune teller interrupted him.

"Well, whatever you may think you see and hear in that sick little mind of yours, I don't appreciate people..."

"Your anger is as pointless as it is misdirected." The fortune teller told him. "You already knew this; indeed, you were responsible for setting these events in motion."

Terry had heard enough. Heading for the door, the fortune teller called to him one last time.

"Terry!" He called out. "You care for her a great deal. She will need that. Your actions, your heart have tied you into this fate. You are as much a part of this as she is."

Terry stormed out of the tent, finding Serena waiting for him. He saw that she was a little freaked out by what she had heard. Terry was fuming as he came over to her.

"Serena, that guy..."

"Terry, how can that have been fake?" She asked him.

"Look, Serena, the guy's obviously some kind of nut job that likes messing with people." Terry interjected. "I mean, what did he really say? You have a lot of energy within you? That could mean anything!"

"What about what he said about Stephen?" She asked him.

"He just said you had lost someone, and only laid him to rest recently." Terry reminded her. "Serena, the Rangers do their best, but most of the city will have known someone they lost within the last two years."

"Then what about the stuff about Dekker?" She asked him frantically. "You talk about vague predictions? How many people have someone after them that want to kill them? How many fortune tellers would actually predict a guy coming for someone and people they care about?"

"I don't know, most people have someone that doesn't like them...maybe the guy just gets his kicks freaking people out." Terry suggested as he moved closer. He had to admit that some of what he said to him sounded good, but he knew that fortune telling wasn't real. The future wasn't certain; there was no way to predict it. He had called Terry caring for Serena, but that could be ascertained with observation and a decent grasp of body language and psychology. He probably just picked up on it from the way Terry acted around her. "Serena, I doubt this guy can see the future any more than I can."

"Terry, there's one more thing." Serena reminded him. "I heard him as you were leaving."

"Look, he was just..."

"He called out your name!" She reminded him. "Terry, I never said your name in that tent."

Terry was about to answer, but he stopped as he realised that she was right. She had never used his name. He didn't have any way of knowing his name. Terry turned back to the tent, giving it a long look, before turning back to her and guiding her away.

"Let's go." Terry told her. "I could use a little something to steady my nerves."

Back at the movie theatre, the final reel played, and the credits started to roll, indicating that it was finally over. Mike was relieved as he picked up his empty nacho tray as the lights went up. Emily meanwhile was too busy taking in the other main show, namely the young couple a couple of rows in front of them.

Vicky got up, helping Spike to gather their trash from the snacks, smiling all the while. They had enjoyed their time watching the movie, talking quietly with each other as it rolled. She couldn't believe her luck that Spike had actually agreed to the date. She had only asked him because she was more scared of losing him in the insane disasters befalling the city over the last few months than she was of telling him she liked him.

Emily pulled Mike down, letting others go as she watched them collect their things and go. She only then allowed Mike to get up and headed out, shoving a few people aside in her enthusiasm, annoying a few people despite her polite excuse me's.

She got out of the hall and looked around frantically. Unfortunately, a few other halls had been let out at the same time, meaning the foyer was now full of people. She eventually caught sight of them, running after them so quickly that she bounced between patrons like a human pinball.

Mike eventually got to her side, just as she secreted herself behind a pillar, watching where Vicky was waiting on the curb. Spike just stood, looking at her, stroking the back of his neck nervously.

"Emily, this is kind of..."

"Romantic." She said dreamily. "Look at them, they're so adorable!"

"I was actually going to say creepy." Mike corrected her. "It kind of constitutes stalking."

Emily just frowned, before listening intently, hoping to catch what they were saying.

"So...um...my mom's picking me up here soon." Vicky said in a weak little voice. "I guess...I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Spike responded. A moment later, Vicky stumbled, at which Spike caught her, holding her upright. She looked to him, her eyes and his connecting.

"That's quite a talent you have there." Spike chuckled. "Tripping while standing perfectly still?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a klutz." She answered in the little, happy-piglet grunting laugh that he adored. Spike took his chance, leaning in and kissing her cheek. She smiled at him brightly.

"I had a great time tonight." He told her. "Maybe we should do it again some time?"

"Count on it." She answered him as a car pulled up. "Um...that's my ride."

She pulled in, kissing his cheek quickly, before getting in the car. Spike watched as it pulled away with a large, goofy grin on his face. He couldn't have hoped for the night to go any better. As he hailed a cab, he noticed something odd. He couldn't remember the curb being crooked here.

Back in their hiding spot, Emily flipped away her Samuraizer with a satisfied look on her face.

"You know, I think that Ji would probably look down on abusing our powers." Mike commented. "Not to mention using our powers for acts of vandalism."

"It's just as well you're not going to tell him then isn't it?" Emily asked, giving Mike her cutest face. He just laughed and pulled her into his arms.

"Just promise me that next time I choose the movie." He told her.

"Oh Mike, you know that's never going to happen." She replied cheekily. He looked to her again, and smiled. She was right about that part; he could never resist her cute puppy face.


	3. Trick

A couple of days passed since the Rangers' night off. While everyone loved their time to relax, they were mindful of the fact that they couldn't let their guard slip and had gone back into full preparation mode.

They had noticed that Jayden had been quiet over the last two days, and he and Antonio spent a fair bit of time by them. The others had asked about it, and while they had been assured he was alright, it was obvious something weighted heavily on him. Remembering that for the first time since Serrator had arrived though that they didn't have to worry about the sheer power of him or Xandred, they eventually wrote it off as him finally having time to concentrate all his time and attention on the sealing symbol.

After morning training though, there was another priority that pushed Jayden's mood to the side in most of their minds. Tonight was Halloween, and with the lull in activity, they wanted to take full advantage of it. One Ranger in particular though had taken a keen interest in the events.

After training, Emily had gotten showered and changed in record time so she could spend all her time decorating the house. She wanted everything to be just right for this Halloween. The previous year, things had kind of been ruined when they discovered their fragment of Urumasa glowing and Ji had to go on his quest to get rid of it. This time though, Dekker was wandering around in the woods somewhere, Dayu was doing the same, Serrator was gone, and Xandred was soaking at the bottom of the Sanzu. This year, nothing would stop them having a great time at Halloween this time around.

Mike came in, finding Emily hanging up some more artificial webs, and just laughed. Emily was so family-minded that the holidays always excited her. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter...any of the major family occasions, she was always in a little world of her own. He couldn't help but find it adorable. It was just one of the many things he loved about her.

He came across as she jumped down from the stool she had been standing on to reach the support beam.

"Wow, this...um...you've been busy." He commented, looking around. Pretty much every available surface was decorated somehow. Banners, streamers, cardboard bats and pumpkins...it looked like one of the many haunted houses that would be set up for Halloween, and she had done it on only a couple of hours.

"I just wanted everything to be perfect for the party." Emily assured him. "I've even looked out the costumes and put them in everyone's room. It's going to be..."

"You've had some candy already haven't you?" Mike asked, noticing that she was just a little hyper. She looked a little sheepish.

"Only a little." She assured him. "There's still plenty for..."

"That's just as well, because we're not buying any more." Brenda said as she came into the room with Ji. "We already have about a months' supply."

"Maybe for a normal human." Mike laughed, grabbing Emily and lifting her off the ground as she let out a loud shriek. He threw her over one shoulder as he carried her to their room. "But not for this little monkey!"

"Just try not to have too much!" Ji answered. "We want to get SOME sleep tonight."

As they left, Brenda saw the way he watched them go. She just came across, taking his arm gently.

"I know it's hard, but you promised." She reminded him.

"I know." Ji sighed in response. "They should enjoy themselves for now. There's no use in burdening them with this until we're certain."

"Do you think it's really possible?" Brenda asked him. He just shook his head.

"I don't know." He answered. "But we've seen too much of the impossible to rule anything out."

"You weren't kidding earlier were you?" Brenda asked him. "This could change everything."

"I just pray that it doesn't cause too much harm." Ji told her. "I have a feeling bad times are coming."

"I guess we better make the best of tonight then." Brenda responded as she wrapped her arms around him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He answered as he kissed her. He parted from her a little way, smiling as he felt something.

"Did...did you feel it too?" She asked. He nodded in response.

"I suppose our little one wants to join in." He said as he got down on his knees to address her belly. "I love you too little one."

Over at the school, the kids were abuzz with excitement. Throughout the halls, they were all planning their night, some deciding on their routes, others just figuring out the mayhem they would cause. Spike though had another reason to be excited.

His uncle Bulk had agreed to let him throw a party at the house. It was a large property, in a good area, and he figured it was better than just letting them wander around the streets so soon after the geysers of misery incident. Spike had already invited a few friends, but more than anything, he was delighted by one in particular. Vicky would be coming.

He got to her locker, dodging a low-flying roll of toilet paper, and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to him, and smiled.

"Um...hi Spike." She forced out. Since their date, they had been at something of a loss. They had enjoyed their time together, but they weren't really sure what they should be doing now. None of the others knew about the date, and they were still in the process of figuring out what they were planning to do next. "I guess you're looking forward to tonight?"

"Yeah, I definitely am." He told her. "I just picked up my costume this morning! They took a while to make it..."

"Oh, can I see it?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Nuh huh. You have to wait until tonight like everyone else." He told her. "But it's going to be sweet!"

"Oh, come on, it's me." She answered, looking him in the eyes. "Just a little peek?"

He sighed and opened his bag, letting her look inside. She took a look at what she saw and looked up to him.

"Seriously?" She asked him. "Spike, this must have cost..."

"My parents shelled out for it." He interrupted her. "So, are you looking forward to it?"

"What do you think?" She asked in response. She looked around, reminding herself that Jimmy and Cody were a little way off playing tiles. She just looked back to Spike. "Come on, there's something I want to talk to you about."

As they left, Jimmy watched them go. Cody set down another tile, not even bothering to look up.

"So are they finally together or what?" Cody asked.

"They had their first date this weekend." Jimmy told him with a nod, laying down his own tile.

"How do you know?" Cody continued.

"I read her diary." Jimmy said with a shrug. Cody just sighed and handed over a couple of dollars.

"I really hate you right now." He grumbled. "I had that money earmarked for the latest issue of JLA."

"That's why they call it gambling." Jimmy reminded him, laying down another tile with a smug smile. "I think you'll find that's the game."

Cody just started to gather up the tiles.

"You're getting too good at this." He complained.

Octoroo called Trickster back to the Junk reluctantly, looking for an explanation. He had asked for his help a couple of days ago, and yet so far, he had done nothing. No destruction, no chaos, he hadn't even deigned to send some Moogers into the city. He wanted to find out just what the insane Nighlock planned to do.

As Trickster came aboard, he looked to Octoroo.

"You called?" He asked.

"You'll bet I did, I hired you days ago!" Octoroo snapped. "If I wanted to do nothing, I could do that quite happily by myself! What are you going to do about the Rangers?"

"Not just the Rangers, but the whole city." Trickster assured him. "I have something very special in mind."

"Your promises are sounding as hollow as your head." Octoroo responded cynically, gripping his staff more tightly. "Are you doing something or not?"

"I'm just waiting for night to fall." Trickster said to Octoroo as he got a wicked smile on his face that scared even him. "Trust me; you won't want to miss this."

Night fell in the city, and Halloween was underway. Being so far out, the Rangers had no worries about trick or treaters coming to the door, the night was just for them.

Mike came into the Living Room, finding Brenda lying on the couch, having a nap. She was starting to find her sleep pattern being a little chaotic, and so it wasn't uncommon to find her napping during the day. She wasn't in a costume, unsurprisingly enough. It wasn't that she wasn't into Halloween, just that it was more hassle than it seemed like finding something that fit her in her condition.

He started to approach her silently, with mischief on his mind. Looking around for any sign of the others, he thought this was too good an opportunity to pass up. Creeping over, he was right by her side, when she brought up a hand.

"Whatever you're planning on doing, don't." She warned him. Mike just groaned.

"How'd you...?"

"Mike, back away with the little dignity you have." She warned him. "Pregnant ladies are not to be messed with."

"Especially when they have back-up." Ji answered as Mike backed into him. He turned around to find Ji standing there in his costume, the same one as last year, he was dressed as John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.

Mike backed away a little, realising he had been well and truly caught. He was dressed in his chosen costume for this year, a bear. Ji grabbed one of the ears stitched into the top of the hood over his head.

"Go help Mia set up the refreshments." Ji told him.

"But..."

"GO!" Ji reiterated a little more sternly. Mike just nodded and went into the kitchen, finding Mia, who was dressed as a turtle, preparing the snacks. Brenda rubbed her eyes as she got up from the couch with a little help from Ji.

"OK, I know I was out for a while." She commented. "What's with the costumes?"

"The Rangers all decided to honour their Zords this year with their costumes." Ji explained. "Except for myself, Serena and Terry obviously, none of us have Zords."

"OK, I guess that makes some sense." She answered with a little nod as Ji got her a drink of juice. "So, we're almost ready for..."

Just as she was about to say something, she saw the Yellow Ranger walk into the room. She looked decidedly taller than normal. Brenda took a second to register what was happening.

"Um...isn't it cheating a little to be the Yellow Ranger Serena?" She asked. "I mean, you were the Yellow Ranger briefly, and you are MEANT to be the Yellow Ranger."

"Yeah, but I'm not, so it counts as a costume." Serena replied, pulling off her helmet and shaking her hair clear. Just then, she smiled as he walked in. Terry just laughed seeing her.

"Great minds think alike!" He called out, gesturing to his Pink Ranger costume. Brenda just shook her head and left the room.

"OK, you two definitely didn't get the point of Halloween." She remarked. "I'm going for something to eat."

Terry took a seat next to Serena as she looked to him, and smiled.

"You know, this does feel a little weird compared to the real suits." He admitted. She just nodded.

"I guess real spandex isn't as comfortable as the real thing." Serena agreed, tugging at her costume a little. She moved a little closer to Terry, something he noticed. He just poured each of them a drink, smiling a little as he did so.

In the kitchen, Emily was watching them, holding the hood of her monkey costume out of her eyes so she could see properly. She was almost bouncing with glee.

"Come on, come on, you're so close!" She willed them. Seeing the Yellow Ranger spying, Mia came across, peeling a banana. She shoved it in Emily's mouth, pulled down the hood over her eyes, and dragged her away from the door.

"No more eavesdropping!" She said sternly. Emily gulped down her mouthful of banana so she could speak.

"Spoilsport." She muttered.

Over at Spike's place, the few guests arrived. He wanted to keep it small and low key, so he only invited his immediate friends. Bulk had put on a decent spread, and even had some bowls of candy for any trick or treaters that would stop by.

Vicky was sitting in the Living Room, having opted for a Hogwarts uniform, choosing to go as Hermione Granger. It was one of her favourite book series. Cody and Jimmy had both come as werewolves, but as soon as they had arrived, had immediately begun another game of tiles.

Mal's costume showed something of his optimism. He had gotten a costume from the wardrobe department of the school, and was dressed as a character from West Side Story. Melanie had gone for irony, dressing in her old cheerleading outfit. It had been ages since she had left the team, and she had no desire to go back given how they had treated her.

They were all talking quietly when Spike finally came down from his room. It had taken him a while to get dressed, and now he was ready, he wanted to make an entrance. As he got to the landing, they all looked around, at which Jimmy was the first to comment.

"Dude, that costume freaking rocks!" He called out. "You're the Red Ranger!"

Spike stood before them, his toy spin-sword in his belt, striking his best pose. Vicky smiled as she stood up.

"It's really..." Her words tailed off as all the lights suddenly went out. She and the others started to wonder what was going on, just as Bulk, dressed as Shrek, ran to the window.

"The power's out across..." He looked up. "It's more than just our street. Half the town's out."

"It just adds to the atmosphere." Vicky said with a shrug, beginning to look for some candles. "Maybe we can tell stories or..."

"Um...what's that?" Spike asked, looking to a hilltop a few miles away. There was a bright light coming from it, extending into the night sky.

On that hilltop, Trickster was preparing his spell. His fevered brain had started to cook up mischief from the moment he heard about Halloween. He had created a spell just for the occasion.

"You want a night where monsters walk the street?" He cackled as he threw the last few ingredients into a cauldron. "You got it!"

With that, it flared up, casting a dome of bright white light that flared over the whole city. Trickster started laughing as he headed for the city to watch the chaos begin.

In the Shiba House, they had all seen the flare, but having their own back-up generator had barely noticed the black-out. Brenda looked to Serena and Terry, furrowing her brows.

"So...um...what was that?" She asked. Serena went to the map and pulled it up, observing the energy signatures. There was undoubtedly a powerful Nighlock signature heading right for the city, but numerous other strange energies.

"OK, I think we can forget about having a quiet Halloween." She commented. "I thought Nighlock didn't attack on Halloween?"

"I guess someone didn't get the memo." Terry answered. "We need to get..."

His words tailed off as he heard a scream coming from the kitchen. Ji ran in, with a terrified monkey wrapped tightly around him.

"Ji, what's going on?" Terry asked. Ji just pointed to the kitchen door, at which they saw a bear cub and a lion cub wandering out. Terry just looked to them, then to the kitchen.

"Wait here." He stated. He ran into the kitchen, but stopped short as he found a wall of scaled skin in front of him. He could hear deep, loud breaths, and knew that it was alive, but looked shoe-horned into the room. He then turned to see a turtle on the worktop, next to a squid, which flopped around pathetically on the table top. He ran some water into the sink, and shoved it in, meaning it could now breathe.

As he came back into the Living Room, he found Serena and Brenda waiting.

"Terry, what's in the kitchen?"

"Um...a turtle, a squid...and a dragon...I think, I couldn't see its face." He told her.

"Wait, Terry, do you think...?"

"There's one way to find out." Terry answered, pulling out his Samuraizer. Moments before, it had been a toy, but now it felt like there was a lot more weight to it. He traced a symbol. "Cages!"

He cast the symbol, which created cages around the lion cub, the bear cub and the monkey. Serena just looked to him.

"Our costumes are real?" Serena asked him. "Wait, so that means my sister's a monkey?"

"OK, we definitely have a problem." Terry agreed.


	4. Trickster's Treat

At Bulk's place, Spike shook his head to clear the cobwebs. He got to his feet, but inadvertently clattered his head against the top of the window frame. He had been stunned by the blast, but he couldn't remember that happening before. He looked around as he heard a couple of growls, and a huge yell, seeing a massive green figure wrestling with some creatures.

"Time for you kids tae get outta here!" Shrek, really his uncle Bulk stated as he wrestled with a couple of werewolves. Spike took a moment to collect his thoughts, remembering their costumes. Bulk, his uncle, was Shrek, while the werewolves were his friends Jimmy and Cody. He grabbed Vicky and ran.

"Melanie, Mal, RUN!" He called out. Melanie was dressed as a cheerleader, which was pretty much a snack in horror movies, while Mal was dressed as...well...Spike didn't really know WHAT he was. All he knew was it was from West Side Story, and he doubted a gang kid with a switchblade was much use against werewolves.

He got to his room, slamming the door shut and locking it. In Panorama City, like many that had seen Ranger activity, a lot of the houses for the richer end of the community were built to last. The walls were thick, and the doors had locks that held fast. Five-point locks were pretty much a standard feature in many homes in Ranger cities.

He looked to the others in the room.

"Alright, is everyone alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, we're cool." Mal responded, getting to his feet. "Boy, boy, crazy boy..."

"Fine, you're alright!" Spike barked, interrupting Mal's solo. "Vicky..."

"Yeah, I'm alright." She told him. "Um...those things down there, are they...?"

They heard a knock on the door, at which Spike came to it, drawing his Spin Sword. It had a lot more weight to it than he remembered, but if just felt right in his hands. He looked back to the door.

"Who's there?"

"The sodding Tooth fairy!" Shrek-Bulk said sarcastically. "Open the door!"

Spike opened the door briefly, at which his uncle, now a ten-foot, four hundred pound green ogre, stumbled in with a Werewolf straddling his chest, clawing at him. Another was leaping towards him.

"Expeliarmus!" Vicky screamed, levelling her wand at one of them. The unfortunate creature was propelled about twenty feet backwards, slamming against a wall. Shrek-Bulk picked up the other, throwing it into the other, before slamming the door shut, locking it.

"Awright kiddies, what's happenin'?" Shrek-Bulk asked. "Cody and Jimmy..."

"Um...I think we all turned into our costumes." Vicky responded. They all looked at her, not knowing how to respond. "Well, the Expelliarmus curse worked didn't it?"

They all had to concede that. As far as anyone knew, Vicky had never shown any gifts for real magic before. Mal looked at her curiously.

"So, are you one of...?"

"I'm not a Jet if that's what you're asking!" She groaned. "Stay loose boy!"

"I didn't know you were into musicals." Melanie commented. Vicky just shook her head.

"Not normally, but mom and dad love West Side Story." She admitted. "I've seen it like ten thousand times against my will."

"Alright, as entertaining as all this is, what are we going to do about this?" Mal asked, pacing the room. This was odd in itself, since his knee had not fully healed, but obviously whatever this was had healed it for the sake of his costume. "I mean, we have those..."

"First, you calm down, in here we're safe." Spike told them. "This building is built to survive force 7 earthquakes and F4 hurricanes. I don't think a pair of werewolves is going to be much threat."

"Then what?" Mal asked.

"Just keep all the doors and windows..."

His words tailed off as he heard a bleeping sound. He looked around in confusion.

"Alright, whose phone is that?" He asked. The others checked their phones, before Vicky looked to him.

"Um...I think it's yours." She commented. He took the Samuraizer, which moments earlier had been only a toy from his belt, and flipped it open. Looking to it, he saw map co-ordinates. He hadn't been great at geography, but somehow he just knew instinctively what this meant.

"Alright, Um...Hermione, Shrek...Keep the others safe." He told them. "I need to go!"

"Wait, what?" Melanie screamed, cowering in the corner. Spike couldn't blame her considering her character. In horror movies, traditionally the cheerleaders were the first to die. "You're leaving?"

"I need to go and end this!" He declared. "Vic...um...Hermione, lock the window after me!"

He leapt onto the window sill, before trying to leap out. Unfortunately, his transformation came with a little bonus he hadn't accounted for. Being taller and broader, he smashed his head off the top of the window, and tumbled to the ground outside.

"Son of a bitch!" He moaned as he rolled on the ground outside. Looking up and seeing Vicky locking the window as per his request, he pulled himself to his feet.

"Right, I have a Nighlock to take care of!" He stated as he ran into the city.

Back at the Shiba House, Terry, Serena and Brenda were trying to figure out what to do, while Ji was busy checking out the TV. His costume had made him John Travolta's character from "Saturday Night Fever", so much of the cable network was fascinating to him. Brenda just sighed and looked to the others.

"Alright, so what do we do?" She asked them. "I like disco as much as the next girl, but..."

"What do you have to complain about? My sister's a monkey!" Serena reminded her, passing another banana through the bars of Emily's cage. The monkey took it, starting to chew it enthusiastically. "There's a dragon shoe-horned into the kitchen...thank God it hasn't woken up yet, and..."

"My sister's a turtle." Terry reminded them, setting a tank with a turtle in it on a side-board. "That means..."

"That means it's fortunate we chose ironic costumes." Serena told him. "So, we're the only Rangers..."

Terry heard a bleeping, and ran to the map. He opened it, finding the strongest energy signature. There were many, they had no doubt there would be given the scale of this spell, so they were only interested in the strongest readings.

"Um...what do we do?" He asked. "There are only two of us."

"You go." Brenda told them. "The others are in cages, and Kevin...well...just hope he doesn't wake up. Dragons sleep for centuries right?"

"I guess in the absence of a better plan, we go and deal with this." Terry said with a shrug.

"Wait a minute!" Serena called out. She ran to the corner, tearing open a hidden panel in a cabinet, and pulled out a wooden box, opening it to reveal the Black Box and some power disks. She took them out, throwing the box aside and stopped as she saw Terry's judgemental look.

"I'm nosy alright?" She snapped. "I know where Jayden hides this..."

"Just as well." He told her, finding it hard not to find Serena's eccentricities more than a little attractive right about now. Because of her, they now had a full arsenal to work with. "Brenda, keep an eye on the others!"

"Yeah, thanks." She replied as they ran out, looking to the cages where the bear cub Mike, and the Lion Cub Jayden were whining for food. "No problem."

Trickster walked through the city, admiring the chaos his spell had brought to the city. He couldn't have wished for anything more. Everyone there had turned into the costume they were wearing. There were ghouls chasing people, vampires chasing others, superheroes fighting super villains...pretty soon the entire city would be laying in ruins, and there was nothing anyone could do to ruin his fun.

He was walking confidently, knowing that it would be hard for the Rangers to find him. Normally a monster walking through town was tough to spot, but on Halloween, especially when everyone had been turned into their costumes, it was a more difficult task.

He got to a clearing, finding the Yellow and Pink Ranger standing before him.

"Well, who do we have here?" He asked. Serena checked her scanner one more time to make sure they had the right monster.

"We're Power Rangers." She told him bluntly. "Now, are you the one responsible for this?"

"You like my little prank?" He cackled, doing a bizarre little happy dance. Serena and Terry just looked at each other.

"Prank?" Terry asked. "My sister's a turtle!"

"And I doubt she's one of those bandana wearing ninja ones is she?" He chuckled. "Yeah, that's my little prank."

Terry was about to attack, but Serena held him back as a kid ran past, dressed as a burglar, with a couple of others dressed as cops. He looked back to the Nighlock.

"Messing up Halloween?" He asked. "So not cool! You deserve this!"

He and Serena drew their Spin Swords charging to the attack.

Back at Bulk's place, Vicky held her wand in her hands tightly. Although she was as clueless as to what was happening as everyone else, she knew one thing, to the best of her knowledge, her wand was the most effective weapon to keep everyone safe.

She couldn't help thinking that she would feel so much better if Spike was still here. It wasn't that she doubted his heart, or his ability, it was just that she wanted to actually see that he was here, know that he was safe. Mal was pacing the room.

"I'll bet Krupke's behind all this." He ranted. "He's always been on the side of those white boys! He's always looking for ways to mess with the PRs..."

"Stupefy!" Vicky called out, pointing her wand at him. A red bolt fired from it, knocking Mal out. Melanie just looked at her in horror.

"Sorry, but it was all I could think of to shut him up." She answered the unasked question. "Do you think his jack knife would do much against the werewolves downstairs?"

"I guess not." Melanie said with a sulk. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Come on Spike." She whispered, going to the window. "Come back safely."

Terry was smashed into a wall as he fought Trickster. Despite his eccentric ways, he was still a powerful and deadly Nighlock. Serena was on him quickly, hammering him repeatedly.

She managed to lad numerous hard shots, but eventually Trickster managed to find an opening and blast her away. She peeled herself off the pavement as Terry joined her.

"Well, two on one." He commented. "Those aren't good odds...for YOU!"

He felt a tap on the shoulder, at which he turned around, seeing the Red Ranger behind him. Before he could utter a word, a Fire Smasher sent him flying.

"Sorry I'm late guys." The Red Ranger stated. Terry and Serena just looked to each other.

"Um...isn't Jayden at home in a cage?" Terry asked.

"You know what they say about gift horses?" Serena questioned him in response as she ran to join their mystery team mate. As he smashed Trickster down one more time, he held a hand out.

"Give me the Black Box!" He called out. "DO IT!"

Serena just threw it to him, at which the Red Ranger powered up to Super Samurai Mode. Trickster got to his feet just in time to catch a full-powered Blazing Strike right to the chest. He screamed in agony, before falling to the ground and exploding.

"Um...thanks for the help, but who...?"

"Questions later!" The Red Ranger stated as Trickster's second life brought him to super size. "For now, Claw Armour Megazord!"

Terry and Serena didn't even know how it was possible, but the new Ranger called the Zords, snapping the combination disk into the Black Box. They could only join him in the cockpit as he prepared to face Trickster.

They smashed him to the ground, before the Red Ranger checked his arsenal.

"Samurai Artillery!" He called out, summoning the cannon. "Lock on...fire!"

Before he could regain his composure, Trickster stood up into the cannon blast, ending his second life. The Red Ranger stood in a victory pose.

"Samurai Rangers, victory is...WHOA!"

Before anyone knew what was happening, the Zords expelled him, teleporting the stranger out of the cockpit. They didn't take kindly to unfamiliar people using them. They didn't even take kindly to those who didn't have true Samuraizers using them, as demonstrated when they teleported Terry and Serena to the ground, before disappearing. Serena just looked to Terry, pulling off her helmet.

"Um...so...what was that?" She asked. Terry just shrugged.

"I guess a Nighlock version of Trick or Treat." He answered. He looked to Serena, unable to help finding her beautiful. He came closer, cradling her face with his hand. Serena smiled as he did so, and closed her eyes, drawing closer, before she suddenly remembered...

"The others!" She screamed as she pulled away. "They're still..."

"Oh, Mia's going to be pissed at me!" Terry whined at they ran home, knowing that any attempt to flag a cab within a mile of a monster battle would be futile.

Back at the Shiba House, Brenda looked to Ji as he shook his head clear. He looked to her and seemed confused.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"Trust me, its best you don't know." Brenda assured him. Just then, they heard some groans, and some loud rattling.

"Guys, guys!" Mike screamed out in panic. None of them could have been having a peasant time, but with his claustrophobia, Mike was panicking badly. "Let me out!"

Brenda ran over, unlatching the cage as Ji went to get the others. Mike tumbled out, taking a few breaths to steady his nerves, before looking to her.

"Um...can someone explain why I was in a cage?" He asked her. Brenda just laughed.

"I think it's probably best you don't remember." She assured him.

The following morning came around, and despite her insistence, the Rangers had been so determined to hear the story that in the end, Brenda had no choice but to explain what had happened.

Emily just peeled a banana as she listened to the end of the story.

"So...I was a monkey?" She asked them.

"Yeah, you were pretty cute too." Brenda told her, showing her a picture on her cell phone. "All of you were. Well, except Kevin, but that's only because all I saw was his ass."

"I can't help it if dragons are huge!" He grumbled, knowing there were still a lot of repairs and cleaning to do following the incident. "Anyway, where are the 'Rangers'?"

"Come this way." She told them. They followed her quietly, heading for Terry's room. She opened the door quietly, letting them in. There, lying in a tangled heap, Serena and Terry were sleeping soundly, still in costume, having been too exhausted to change. Emily saw the way they were lying in each others' arms, and couldn't contain her joy, snapping a picture with her Samuraizer.

Just then, they heard the doorbell. Ji and the others all looked between themselves, not knowing what to expect, before he went to the door, opening it. Outside, he found Spike waiting.

"Spike?" He asked. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"I have a couple of study periods." He informed him. "I just wanted to talk..."

"Serena's resting right now, she's had a long night." Ji pre-empted him.

"Yeah, I know, I wanted to talk to all of you actually." Spike told him.

"Really?" He asked. "What about?"

"About the fact you guys are the Power Rangers?" He asked in response. Ji didn't know how to respond.

"I suppose you better come in then." Ji answered, showing him inside.


	5. A New Helper

"Thank you." Spike whispered as Mia came into the room, carrying a tray with a pot of tea, some cups, and a couple of biscuits. Ji had called all of the Rangers inside from training, where they were surprised to see Spike sitting waiting. They didn't really know what to make of it, but the way Ji had asked, more like demanded the Rangers' presence for the meeting, it was clearly important. Mia took a seat next to her fiancé, as Ji prepared to begin.

"Alright Spike, tell them what you just told me." Ji told him. Spike took a deep breath, and looked to the others.

"Last night, I was at a Halloween party. I was dressed as the Red Samurai Ranger." He explained. "There was a bright light, and everything went crazy. Everyone started acting like their costumes."

He looked to the Rangers, who were still wearing their training uniforms, trimmed in their respective Ranger colours.

"I...I gained certain...the spell somehow made it so that I knew everything the Red Ranger would know."

"You mean..."

"Yes, Emily, I know you're the Rangers." He interrupted her. The Rangers all looked around each other, not knowing how to respond. They knew Spike a little, Serena had been giving him and his uncle Martial Arts lessons for some time, but having him actually know about them was a different matter.

"I think you all understand what this means." Ji announced to the Rangers. "Spike there are others that know about us. Other civilians that share our secret, but now that you know about this, your knowledge carries a lot of responsibility."

"Look, I don't plan on telling anyone, I swear!" Spike assured them. "I mean, it's cool to know that I've been getting trained by Rangers, but I don't want to tell anyone."

"Spike, you can't know how serious..."

"Actually, I do." Spike interrupted Jayden. He took a deep breath. "Someone in my family was a Ranger."

The Rangers had met Kimberly, Spike's step-mother once. In the course of one of their battles, they had found out that she was once the original Pink Ranger.

"Mom told me about her time as a Ranger when I was young." He informed them. "She told me and she told dad because she didn't want us to be in danger without understanding why. She told us that bad guys have a habit of going after the friends and family of Rangers, so she always made sure I understood how important it was that I didn't tell anyone what I knew. They would just be put in danger because they knew."

"It's the reason most of us haven't seen our families in almost two years." Kevin said with a little nod, before leaning forward. "It's also the reason Dekker came after you and your uncle. He saw your website."

"He saw..." Spike suddenly turned very red, and turned his attention away from Mia. "Um...I didn't mean...It was just..."

"Spike, I was flattered. I remember what it was like being your age." Mia said reassuringly, realising he had to be feeling more than a little embarrassed, now that he knew that Mia actually knew about the Facebook page he had created dedicated to his crush on the Pink Ranger. "But Dekker saw some of the pictures you photo-shopped and thought they were real. All that was caused by a simple misunderstanding, so can you see that we're not joking when we tell you that this is a big deal?"

"I just wanted you all to know that I knew." Spike told them. "I won't tell anyone, I swear."

"Not even your little girlfriend? Some people would find it pretty impressive that you know who the Rangers are." Mike pointed out to him. Spike just turned a little pink at the mention of Vicky, but shook his head.

"I'm not going to tell any of my friends." He assured them. "There's no way I'd want anything to happen to any of them, especially because of me."

Jayden looked to Ji, who seemed to consider Spike for a moment, before pulling out his Samuraizer.

"If I told you there was a way I could erase this knowledge from your memory, how would you feel about that?" Ji asked him. "I mean, it would surely be easier for you if you simply didn't know about this."

"If that's what you think is best, then I'll let you do it." Spike assured him. "But I promise I won't say anything. In fact...maybe I'll be able to help somehow?"

"You want to help us?" Serena asked him. "Spike, this..."

"Look, I've followed the Ranger battles for the whole time I've been in this city. I know how serious all this is." He continued to plead with them. "I mean, I know I can't exactly jump into a Zord or...well...I'm sure there's something I can do to make things easier!"

"I suppose Cody knows." Antonio said with a shrug. Ji just groaned and put his hand over his face, shaking his head.

"Wait, Cody?" Spike asked. "Cody knows about this stuff? Wait...is that how his dad knows Serena?"

"Let me remind you of the definition of secret." Ji grumbled to Antonio. "Yes, Cody's family has been helping the Samurai for generations. He is the latest in a long line of attendants who help us in secret. Sometimes, we need small tasks done, messages sent, items delivered, that kind of thing."

"Great, fine I'll do anything!" Spike assured them. "I really want to help."

Ji just moved closer to Spike, looking him straight in the eyes.

"This is no small commitment." Ji reminded him. "If you go ahead with this, then we may call on you. It may never happen, we may never ask anything of you, but if you make this commitment now, that's it. You take this secret with you for the rest of your days, and you stand ready for our call, and if we ask you to do something, you must be prepared to do it without question, even if you don't understand why. Is that clear?"

"All I've ever wanted is to help." Spike assured them with a nod. Ji then put away his Samuraizer.

"Then welcome to the fold." He told Spike. "I believe that you are sincere when you say that our secret is safe with you."

"It will, I promise." Spike assured them for the hundredth time. "Now, I need to get back to school. I didn't realise how long this would take, I'm going to be late for Maths..."

"I'll give you a ride." Ji told him, picking up the keys to his bike. "Come with me."

As they went outside, Spike stopped him.

"Ji, there's one more thing." Spike told him. "Um...I didn't tell the others, but since I took on the Red Ranger's identity..."

"Then you know of Jayden's secret." Ji interjected, seeing where this was going. Spike just nodded.

"Is it possible?" He asked.

"We don't know." Ji answered honestly. "But a lot of evidence seems to make it a distinct possibility."

"I won't say anything." Spike told him. "I meant what I said, anything I can to help."

"Well, consider that your first service to the Samurai." Ji answered, tossing Spike a helmet. "The others will know if the circumstances make it pertinent. Until then..."

"It's best not to rock the boat." Spike concluded, climbing on the back of Ji's bike. With that, Ji started up the engine, and rode away, headed in the direction of the school. He knew that Spike was a good kid, and that he meant well, but he had his concerns any time anyone had to be brought into the fold. Too many lives were at stake, but with Spike, he was confident that their secret was safe.


	6. The Decision

Spike arrived back at the school, barely with time to run in and rejoin his friends in his next class. Taking off his helmet, he looked to Ji.

"Thanks for the ride." He said to Ji, readjusting his backpack. "I'd never have been able to run here in time."

"I suppose it is the least I can do." Ji answered. Spike was starting to walk away, when he turned back to him.

"Uh...can I just ask one thing?" He asked. "Could you really have erased my memory?"

Ji didn't answer, instead just pulling his helmet back on, and starting up the engine.

"Keep your phone on you. Keep credit on it, and keep it charged." Ji instructed him. He gunned the engine, pulling away, leaving Spike alone. He went back inside, just as the bell rang to join the stampede heading to the next class. Vicky came up to him, hooking her arm in his.

"Spike, where were you?" Vicky asked him. "I was looking for you in Study Hall."

"I just had something I needed to take care of really quickly." He told her. He knew that he couldn't tell her what he had been doing. Part of him wanted to, just so he was completely open with her, but he kept in mind what his mother had always told him, and of his promise to the Samurai. He had to keep this to himself; otherwise he could put others he cared about in danger. He just smiled.

"What?" She asked him. "What is it?"

"Nothing." He assured her, walking with her to their next class. "Everything's just perfect."

At the Shiba House, Antonio wandered around the house with a plate full of sushi. He found Emily sitting on the couch with Mike, watching television, scratching as she did so.

"Hey." Antonio greeted them. "Emily, you're still scratching?"

"I can't stop." She muttered. "You might have been a squid, but at least you didn't have to take a flea bath after that Nighlock's prank."

"Yeah, that's a little closer to seafood than I want to get." Antonio chuckled. "That is the second time I've been a fish. Anyway, have either of you seen Jayden?"

"The last time I saw him he was heading into the dojo." Mike informed him. "Come to think of it, he's been in there quite a while."

Looking down the hall, Antonio wasn't really that surprised. Jayden had taken to spending a fair amount of time alone in the dojo after practice each day. He just nodded and left Mike and Emily to their cartoons. As he went down the hall, he found the doors to the dojo were closed. This had been unusual at one time, the doors were never closed generally, but more and more, Jayden was shutting himself away in the dojo. Nobody really thought it was out of the ordinary anymore.

Coming to the door, Antonio tried to open it, finding it locked.

"That's new." He commented. He knocked on the door.

"Jayden." Antonio called through. "Jayden it's me."

There was no answer. He knocked again, this time a little more loudly.

"Jayden, open the door." He told him. He waited a moment, wondering if he was going to have to take the decision out of Jayden's hands, before eventually he heard the mechanism being operated. The door opened, and Jayden showed Antonio in.

Jayden looked like hell; he looked exhausted, and was sweating badly. Antonio just came in, setting down the plate. Looking around, he could see that Jayden had been very busy. There was an easel in the corner, which was badly scorched. Numerous, maybe hundreds of sheets of paper were littered all around, each of them marked up with paint, and some of which had various degrees of burns. Jayden had to have been at this for a couple of hours at least. Jayden locked the doors behind him.

"Jayden..."

"I've been practicing." Jayden told him. "I've tried, and I've tried, and I've tried, but I just can't seem to do it!"

"Jayden..."

"The Sealing Symbol!" Jayden explained. "I know I've let this slide. I know that I've been distracted by all the other Nighlock stuff, Serrator especially, but..."

"Jayden, you can't do this to yourself." Antonio told him. "You know that..."

"I know we need this to work!" Jayden snapped as he sat down, the pressure of his situation getting to him. "The others are depending on me! Everyone's..."

"Jayden, we both know what this is really about." Antonio interrupted him. He put his arm around him. "We both know that this...the fact you've been obsessing over the Sealing Symbol so much the last couple of days is nothing to do with Xandred. It's...it's to do with...what Ji told you."

Jayden couldn't even look at his boyfriend. He knew he was right. The secret, the one that he had kept all along was now weighing heavily on him. He had believed that it was no longer an issue, he had for some time, but recent events, new information seemed to make it all seem more likely. He couldn't ignore the signs anymore.

"I...I don't know what to think anymore." Jayden admitted. "I mean, a part of me's always dreamed that it was possible, that eventually it would happen, but with everything that's happened..."

"You're worried." Antonio concluded. "You don't know how things can change."

"I never wanted to be in this situation." Jayden told him. "I can remember a time I didn't even want the others here at all. I didn't want to involve anyone else. I tried to keep my distance."

"But you ended up caring about them anyway." Antonio commented. Jayden just nodded.

"I don't know how to feel." Jayden stated. "You know, you understand what it would mean to me if this was true. A part of me wants it to be true so badly..."

"But another part of you wants to believe it isn't." Antonio surmised. "Because you don't want to worry about how it'll affect the way things are now."

"I've worked so hard." Jayden sighed. "And it might all be for nothing."

"It wasn't for nothing." Antonio assured him. "You've done something no one else could have done."

"And yet, it still isn't enough." Jayden responded, panning his hand around the room, gesturing to all his failed attempts to create the sealing symbol. "Maybe it never was."

"Here." Antonio said as he handed the plate to Jayden. "After using so much Symbol Power, you must be starving. You just let me clean this lot up."

He kissed Jayden softly, before starting to wander around the room, picking up the discarded paper. Jayden was grateful for Antonio. He knew what he faced, and what it could mean, and yet he had never left his side. He never would, and that was something Jayden would always be grateful for.

In the netherworld, Octoroo was working on his latest; and most devastating weapon. He had very nearly completed it, and it wasn't a moment too soon. Trickster had been destroyed, but he had done him an important service. By throwing the city into disarray, and giving the Samurai something else to concentrate on, he had bought him valuable time. Octoroo turned to the side of the ship as a flying Mooger arrived. It was badly injured, and was carrying a wooden box. He waddled over, inspecting the creature thoughtfully, before looking out over the Sanzu.

"I sent three of you." He stated. "Where are the others?"

In its garbled language, it relayed the details of their journey. He had always known this was a dangerous task, the reason he had sent three of them. Apparently, the recipient of the message didn't appreciate being addressed by lowly Moogers, and made sure that Octoroo would know that. He ushered the creature to his workbench, and took the box from it, opening it up. Inside, was the final component he needed for his weapon, and a letter addressed to him. He took the letter, and read it. It simply said, 'I have fulfilled my end of the bargain, make sure you fulfil yours.'

"At last, it's all falling into place!" Octoroo shrieked in delight, grabbing some parchment and starting to write out another message.

"My weapon's almost complete." He told the Mooger. "Take this, find her, and tell her to be ready for my word. I've got the perfect weapon, now all I need is the perfect Nighlock to use it."

Meanwhile, over at the retreat, Bernard, the head attendant was doing his rounds. He noticed one of the other attendants being tended to by a medic, and came over.

"What happened?" He asked. "How did you come by these?"

"The stranger, the one you gifted your room to, she...she insisted on training." He informed his superior.

"She normally trains alone." Bernard commented. The attendant just nodded.

"She insisted that she needed a true opponent, to ensure her skills were up to scratch." The attendant informed him. Bernard took a quick look at the injuries, and smiled. They were all expertly located, but not serious. The stranger had obviously not intended to harm the man.

"She is good." Bernard commented. "You are excused for the day. Let the medics take care of you."

He made his way across the yard, into one of the larger buildings. As he got closer, he heard sounds of combat. Although the refuge was primarily intended for the servants of the Shiba Clan to rest and recuperate, there were training facilities, there to allow them to keep up with their studies while they took personal time.

He made his way inside, finding the stranger on the sparring mat, with two other attendants facing her. She was wearing a robe, gifted to her by the refuge. She hadn't arrived with much, only the clothes on her back, and a couple of changes in her backpack.

Her ash-blonde hair was swept back, tied into a tight pony-tail. Her bright blue eyes were focused on the opponents, switching between both of them as they circled her, trying to surround her. As the first came forward, she parried his blow with her shinai.

Bernard watched as she took her two opponents to task. Every one of her senses was remarkably sharp. She seemed to be able to feel her opponents, instinctively know where they were, and where they would be at any moment. The first of the attendants fell when she brought him to the ground, striking him once with the shinai to mark the 'kill'.

The other came at her with everything he had, but it didn't take long for Bernard to see that his skills were nowhere near her level. Before too long, the other man conceded when his shinai was slapped from his hand across the room, and his opponent's shinai at his throat. Bernard stepped onto the mat, tapping the man on the shoulder.

"Take a break." He instructed his underling. He looked to the stranger, and smiled. "I can see you are well rested."

"Your staff have been very attentive." She told Bernard as he handed her a towel to wipe herself down with. She mopped her brow, before wrapping it around her neck. "I have to commend you on your facilities. I couldn't have asked for better."

"I am glad." Bernard told her. She looked to him, seeing the look on his face as he took a leather document wallet from inside his robes. "I was looking for you as it happens. You asked me to keep you posted on events."

She took it from him, undoing the thong tying it closed.

"My room is very comfortable. I was surprised by how large it is." She told him, looking to him. "Would I be correct in thinking not everyone has such free access to the facilities I do?"

"The room was mine." Bernard informed her. "I do not mind relocating temporarily."

"Then you know." She surmised. Bernard just nodded.

"I suspected it." He confirmed as she read the reports. She didn't read them thoroughly, just skimming through them for the important details.

"Xandred is incapacitated?" She asked. "Serrator was destroyed?" Bernard just nodded.

"The news has been encouraging." He told her. "I thought you would like to know..."

"Have an attendant go into town and get me some more clothing, and tell him to bring them to my quarters." She interrupted him, heading back towards her room. "Send a messenger to my room in twenty minutes."

"It sounds like you're going somewhere." He remarked. "Would you like me to arrange transportation?"

"That won't be necessary." She instructed him. "Have the messenger ready to depart tonight. I leave for Panorama City first thing in the morning."

FIN

**A/N: **I've got a busy week ahead of me, and wanted to wrap this story up, before beginning the conclusions arc, which will begin with next weeks' episode. Hope you all enjoyed the story.


End file.
